TheWizard

And you don't consider this an indication that something is wrong? This happens most frequently when people foolishly install HIDs in reflector lamps but with projectors it probably means that they are aimed incorrectly.

Hopefully you don't ever use it on the road when other drivers are around. That would be ignorant.

Yes, increasing the ignition advance will increase torque along with horsepower because the two measures are related. Torque is horsepower * 5252 / RPM. Conversely, horsepower is torque / RPM * 5252. The important point for this discussion is that engine speed (RPM) is a critical factor. Increasing ignition advance isn't a magical gateway to power. The fact is that all engines run with their ignition timing somewhat less advanced than is possible for the safety of the engine. If the spark is generated too early in the compression stroke, it will tend to push back on the rising piston before it reaches top dead center (TDC). That causes an abnormal rise in cylinder pressure which causes knock that can be so violent that it blows a hole in the piston (extreme case). But the flame front burning the air fuel mixture takes time to burn the entire charge so you have to advance the spark to some amount before TDC so that the burning and expanding fuel mixture applies the most downward force starting at TDC. Engines with adaptive timing use their knock sensors to advance the timing to a point just short of causing knock. Higher octane fuel has two properties which help - it burns more slowly and it burns cooler. That's what makes it more resistant to knock. With lower octane fuel the timing must be more conservative because it burns faster so advance is set to complete the fuel burn slightly past TDC. With higher octane fuel burning more slowly, the advance can be more aggressive and aim for completing the burn as close to TDC as possible, maximizing the performance. Here's where we get back to torque and horsepower. Ignition timing is dependent on engine speed. The fuel charge burns at the same rate regardless of engine speed so it is necessary to advance the spark even more as the engine speed increases so that the fuel charge can burn completely in the shorter time before the piston reaches TDC. But torque and horsepower are related to engine speed and they are always equal at 5252 RPM (the constant in the formula). Above that engine speed, horsepower will continue to increase while torque will always decrease. The gain of advancing timing to take advantage of increased octane and its slower, more controlled burn is most noticeable at higher RPM when the time available to burn the fuel mixture is shortest. But at those engine speeds, torque is already falling off. So yes, the torque will be somewhat higher than it would be with less advance but it's still less than it was at lower RPM so it might be more accurate to say it isn't dropping off as quickly rather than it's increased. And again, few daily drivers will push their vehicle into those RPM ranges so the effect is measurable but not very noticeable to the "butt" dyno.

Occasional knocking under load is not damaging to an engine but persistent knocking can become a real problem. As akirby indicated, using higher octane in those situations is definitely a good idea. On the other hand, using higher octane because the engine can adapt to it and produce more power is not necessarily a good thing. You have to remember that it's not horsepower which makes a car feel fast - it's torque that does that. Horsepower gains from timing advance occur high in the RPM range. The difference can be a couple of tenths in the quarter mile but it's something that most non-competition drivers will never even notice. Add to that the cost differential between 87 and 91 octane fuels which is 65 - 70 cents per gallon around here now, and you have a very bad return on investment for the majority of drivers. Even if you drive competitively or need more octane for occasional towing, it would be better for your wallet to run regular most of the time and switch to premium only when needed. Also, up until the early 90s, Amoco (and BP after they bought Amoco) produced a higher octane gas called Amoco Ultimate which was refined an additional step to produce a gas which was clear rather than the slightly yellow color of normal gas. That was the exception to "all base gas is the same" but it hasn't been produced for over 20 years.

Octane and fuel quality are indeed two separate things. There are also a couple of other specifications of gasoline which affect performance and are independent of octane rating. Octane is just a measure of the fuel's resistance to pre-ignition (known as "knocking" or "pinging" because of the sound created when fuel doesn't ignite smoothly when the spark is applied). Octane by itself has absolutely nothing to do with performance or fuel efficiency and higher octane is not "better gas". However, some modern computerized engines have the ability to advance their ignition timing in response to detecting higher octane and this change in timing can improve both performance and efficiency. If a particular engine doesn't have that timing change ability then using higher octane fuel is simply a waste of money. Ethanol blending has a significant impact on both performance and mileage. Ethanol has about 33% less energy by volume than gasoline so any ethanol blend will cause lower performance and mileage compared to pure gasoline. Ethanol also raises octane and RVP so its exact impact can be difficult to determine. RVP (Reid Vapor Pressure) is a measure of the volatility of fuel... its tendency to evaporate. It is measured in PSI with higher numbers being more prone to evaporation. In general, winter gas has an RVP of 9.0 while summer gas is usually RVP 7.8. Winter gas is blended with butane which is plentiful and inexpensive but has a high RVP. Summer gas can't take the volatility of butane so it contains much less and is therefore more expensive. But butane also has less energy content by volume so winter gas, although cheaper, produces less performance and mileage. Basic gasoline is the same regardless of which refinery produces it. It's the additive package which makes the difference. In fact, in many areas the base gasoline for all local stations (regardless of brand) comes from a single refinery or terminal. The additives for each brand (BP, Exxon, Shell, etc.) are added to the tanker truck when it picks up a load at the terminal as appropriate for the brand of station it is delivering to. All gasoline in North America must have a certain minimum standard additive package but the big brand names and Top Tier fuel providers add significantly more (and different) additives to improve their fuel and differentiate themselves from the competition.

Seriously? You're going to compare a minor adjustment to essentially removing the function entirely? Granted, bending the support arms is not an ideal solution but if done carefully, it will provide enough space to provide relief without seriously compromising the structural integrity. Those arms only have to be strong enough to keep your head from flying back too far, so as long as the arms don't get creased or crimped while bending, they will still be plenty strong enough for the purpose.

You do understand that headrests are not there for comfort but for safety? In fact, the name "headrest" is a misnomer - they are intended to prevent whiplash in a collision by limiting the distance your head can move backward on impact. They should properly be named something like "head restraints". I understand that the forward inclination can be uncomfortable for some because it's too close but turning then around so that they match the lines of the seat back basically eliminates their effectiveness... unless you plan to lean your head back for that "gangsta" look or a little sleep while driving.

If your Edge has adjustable headrests (not all models had them), you can pull the top forward as though you wanted it even closer to your head. At the limits of its forward travel, it will release and go back to the rear-most position. You can then move it forward again, one click at a time, until you reach a comfortable position. If your Edge does not have adjustable headrests, you can pull them out of the seat, take them to a bench vise, and carefully bend the support rods to adjust the position.

I think you may be confusing your terms. HID bulbs have an average lifespan that can be several times that of standard halogen bulbs like your H9 (they range from double the life to eight times the life depending on which bulbs you compare). Perhaps you were thinking of those "special" halogen bulbs like Sylvania SilverStar or Philips X-Treme. Those bulbs promise whiter light and brighter output but they do it by filtering and over-driving the bulb filament to provide the output but at a greatly reduced lifespan. You can't replace halogen with HID by just replacing the bulb. For one thing, factory HID bulbs (D1S, D2S, etc.) won't physically fit the headlamp housing. For another, HIDs require a ballast that provides high voltage to the bulb to cause the electrical arc which provides the light output. Your options are to replace your halogen lights with a complete HID system which is very expensive, or use an aftermarket kit which includes ballasts, wiring and HID bulbs designed to fit halogen bulb sockets. For example, as Nick mentioned, you can get a good H9/H11 HID kit for $150 - $200. You can also get cheap kits for around $50 but for the most part those are crap, using cheap materials and inferior electronics in the ballasts which will cause all kinds of problems like excessive heat, radio interference, and short lifespans.

That's what I expected after omar302 mentioned that disconnecting the parking light power wire disabled the marker light. It made more sense that the lowered voltage was coming from a computer module rather than being handled inside the headlight housing. Thanks for confirming that. At least the ForScan changes provide a nondestructive (and reversible) method of achieving the desired results. That means that one of the 7443 sockets with a separate white side power wire could be used to make switchbacks work.

Don't get much snow in Qatar? ? OP, you should run washer fluid all year because it contains detergents which help removing bugs and debris in the summer and an alcohol as antifreeze in winter. You can prevent freezing in your current plain water by adding some rubbing alcohol. Wait for a mild day where the hoses between the reservoir and nozzles will have thawed then spray the washers enough times to ensure the alcohol mixture has replaced the plain water in the hoses.

Yes, that could be a problem. There's another possibility... the schematics don't show the internal workings of the headlamp assembly but they do show that there are three separate ground wires on each side. I wonder if instead of disconnecting the input power it might be possible to disable the parking light by disconnecting one of those grounds? It's a long shot but might be worth a try if someone has the time (and inclination) to experiment. Testing could be done with jumper wires rather than modifying the factory wiring (unplug the connector and run small sections of wire (or even a test light) between the connector pins and a chassis ground point.

Good point! However, I have downloaded the lighting schematic and it shows separate wires at the headlamp assembly for turn signal and parking lights. I don't have an Edge of this year to look at but I wonder if the two inputs are managed within the headlamp assembly to control the single filament bulb. The schematic shows a blue/green wire as turn signal input at the left headlamp and a yellow/purple wire as turn signal on the right side. Both sides have a separate blue/gray wire for parking light input. That would mean that disconnecting the blue/gray wire on each side should prevent parking light activation in the bulb and allow the separate wire on the switchback to control the white circuit.

Actually you can... you can use the specific model switchback linked above which provides a separate wire to power the white LEDs when used with a 7440 single filament socket that normally would not allow the second power source, or you can make your own with a 7443 dual filament socket (about $8 per pair) spliced in place of the factory 7440 single filament socket so that you now have the needed extra wire for the white side circuit. You'd have to figure out how to power that side but finding an ignition switched circuit shouldn't be too hard. But you're right - there is no plug-and-play way to make switchbacks work.

Agreed. In fact it was Daniel Stern who said:

I agree with you on most everything except the insistence on yellow fog lights. It's the beam pattern and aiming that makes a difference when used properly (that is... by themselves with no other lights besides parking/running lights (and rear fogs in Europe) and at a low speed). Whether they are selective yellow (that specific color because amber is too dark) or white is an insignificant factor. White in this case would be a color temperature no higher than 5000K - preferably around 4200K. Also, most of the decorative "fog lights" that are factory installed these days aren't much of a threat of blinding other drivers. Sure, they throw light everywhere and are rather useless as true fog lights but they generally have wimpy bulbs (like 880 series) which are about the same brightness as turn signals... not much of a threat. The ones that are really frightening are those people who think putting an HID kit in decorative fog lights is a good idea - the same fools who put HIDs in reflector headlights - and throw blinding light everywhere.

That is a common excuse used by dealers when they don't know the real answer and won't support vehicle modifications. They just say it's illegal to get you to stop asking questions. There is no law that prevents installation of fog lights on a vehicle. They have to be properly designed and aimed and you can only have four lights on at one time... that would be two headlights and two fog lights. Most modern vehicles turn off the fog lights when using the high beams but there is no law that mandates that except on vehicles that leave the low beams on when the high beams are in use (the same four light limit). It just doesn't make sense to use high beams together with fog lights because they server different purposes. Proper fog lights should have a low, wide beam pattern with a distinct horizontal upper cutoff so that the light doesn't reflect back at the driver in inclement conditions. There are legal requirements limiting the mounting height for the same reason. Of course, most so-called "fog lights" on vehicles these days are simply decorative toys and don't server any useful purpose. There are all kinds of aftermarket fog lights on the market ranging from Walmart specials to sophisticated specialty lighting. The problem is going to be finding a good set that can be mounted on the Edge without looking like some kind of road rally or off-road vehicle.

Actually, headlights really are much better than they used to be for normal fogging and yellowing caused by the sun and weather conditions. My Mustang headlights are eight years old and still as clear as the day I got the car. However, we don't ever get salt on the roads which can ruin the headlights in fairly short order. Even here, people who live close to the beach often have problems with their headlights due to the salt from the ocean. Those clear films will affect output in a measurable but usually not significant way - certainly not enough to cause a problem, especially compared to the potential damage to unprotected lights, but you may have to replace the film every once in a while (easy to do and much cheaper than replacing headlights).

Nope... such actions are covered by "Good Samaritan" law which protects volunteers from liability in an emergency as long as they act reasonably. It most often applies to medical situations - for example, a passerby can't be held liable for broken ribs if they give CPR to an unconscious person. But it also applies to property - for example, you can't be sued for breaking into a home to find a fire extinguisher if you see the home burning. The same would apply to using a fire extinguisher on someone's car... if there's a fire and you use a fire extinguisher in a reasonable way (as it's intended to be used) then you cannot be held liable for any consequential damages. I say "volunteer" because the law doesn't apply to anyone expecting to be paid for providing the assistance.

Switching can be done either in the menus - Phone->Settings->pick a phone->Connect - or via voice command "Phone, Connect, name of phone". When using voice it is better if you have renamed your phone to something simple (i.e. "Bob's Phone" rather than "Samsung SG900T") then you can just say "Phone, Connect, Bob's Phone."

You can have multiple phones set up (paired) in SYNC but only one can be active at a time. If only one of you is in the vehicle when it is started then that phone will become the active (connected) phone. If both of you are in the vehicle then the phone that was designated primary in the SYNC configuration will be the one that becomes active. For most couples with multiple vehicles, one of them would generally be primary on one vehicle and the other on another vehicle based on who drives each the most often. In my case, I am primary on my car, secondary on her SUV and she is primary in her SUV and secondary in my car. When we go someplace together in her SUV, if I'm driving then I will either get in and start the vehicle before she is there, or switch the active phone in the settings before leaving the driveway... just go to the list of phones, select the phone you want and click connect to make it switch. It should always be the driver whose phone gets connected via Bluetooth since the passenger can always answer their phone with the handset. In the case where I always used to drive either vehicle when we were going someplace together, I would set my phone as primary on both vehicles - hers would still connect when she was by herself but mine would connect when I was there. It's up to you which way works best for how you share the vehicles.

Except that the dealer isn't losing any money from the "non-paying" customers... the dealer gets reimbursed by Ford for both parts and labor (granted, it's a flat rate job) so they have no reason to discourage customers. However, they may be overwhelmed with work and not want to add technicians for an increased work load that will be winding down.

I'm afraid I don't get the distinction... if the repairs will continue indefinitely with an anticipated completion date sometime in 2023 then what does "the recall is set to end in 2020" refer to? What will end? The recall and the repairs are not apples and oranges - the recall IS the repairs.

Unfortunately, the Canadian market is pretty close to one tenth that of the US so it doesn't get as much attention. Add that to the fact that they already have to build Canadian vehicles differently (metric instruments, mandatory DRLs, etc.) and you end up with fewer option choices because the economics of scale doesn't apply as well. In other words, if you look at Canadian vehicles as a separate model of Edge and its sales will be only 10% of the North American market, additional customization beyond the four trim levels and two major packages becomes less profitable.

There is no time limit that ends safety recalls but there are certain other time limits. For example, a manufacturer is not required to provide recall repairs free of charge for vehicles more than 10 years old. So at some point the recall will end because the remaining affected vehicles are more than 10 years old (age based on date of delivery to initial owner).